Regenerative Medicine at evolv

The Use of PRP Fat Transfer and Stem Cells in Aesthetic Rejuvenation

An exciting new area of aesthetics today is the new science of using the body’s own tissues to heal and rejuvenate. This process involves three primary components: platelet-rich plasma (PRP), fat transfer (using the patient’s own fat cells and transferring them to another area) and the enhancement of fat grafts with stem cells, which are specialized and pluripotent cell components that are isolated from fat grafts. Read on to learn more about what these techniques can do for you, as explained by Dr. Frank Barone.

Actual evolv patient – Age: 52 – Regenerative Medicine

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

There are many potential benefits and applications in aesthetics for platelet-rich plasma or PRP. PRP is a mixture of growth factors and signaling proteins called cytokines that have been shown to improve healing and rejuvenate youthfulness in the skin and tissues. “The applications of PRP are quite broad, as these are the natural growth factors harvested from the patient’s own blood and used in a variety of ways,” explained Dr. Barone.

PRP is obtained by drawing the patient’s blood and placing it into a special tube that isolates certain components. The tube is then placed in a centrifuge, which separates out the components that are not needed. Within the separated material is a layer of special growth factors and proteins along with the concentrated platelets, which is then used in skin care.

“For example, we use it with micro-needling, which is a process to stimulate the repairative functions and production of collagen in the skin,” said Dr. Barone. “And when we add PRP, we see a significant enhancement of the results of micro-needling. It can be used with the actual micro-needling process or injected into the skin after micro-needling, which has been termed the “Vampire Facelift.” PRP can also be used to reduce hair loss and stimulate new hair growth far more significantly than other non-surgical or topical medication options.

Because PRP is obtained from the patient’s own blood, it is a much more natural stimulant than other growth factors that are obtained from plants or other sources outside of the patient. PRP can be used in many ways, including being added to fat grafts to make a natural filler for an aging face, to restore loss of volume in the cheeks or sagging in the skin, and to restore the thickness of the skin and stimulate pro-growth functions. It can also be used in breast reconstruction, breast augmentation, mastectomy or fat grafts to the buttocks to enhance fat intake and healing.

Fat Transfer

Fat transfer is a process of taking the patient’s own fat cells out of an area where there is an excess, such as the abdomen, hips, flanks or legs and then using these natural living cells to repair, restore and rejuvenate. Those fat grafts are then processed, removing the unneeded components and obtaining a purified concentration of fat. “These are living fat cells and can be used as a natural filler, in the face with a facelift procedures or injections to improve volume and many other exciting applications,” explained Dr. Barone.

Fat has been shown to not only fill, but to improve the overlying skin, the production of collagen and the health of the epidermis when it’s grafted to another area. “One of the most exciting areas of fat transfer has been the enrichment of fat grafts with the patient’s own stem cells,” said Dr. Barone. “Stem cells are specialized cells obtained from the fat which have the ability to respond to many signals and actually stimulate growth, repair and rejuvenation.”

Overall, these two techniques have proved themselves as remarkable treatments within any applications. If you are interested in learning more about the exciting possibilities of regenerative medicine with PRP, fat transfer and stem cells, contact us today to schedule your consultation.